New Delhi, Dec 24
Leaders from across the nation congratulated ISRO for its historic feat of launching the Launch Vehicle Mark-3-M6, carrying the US spacecraft BlueBird Block-2, stating that it is a "proud milestone", which will further strengthen India's commercial space capabilities.
India's LVM3-M6, carrying BlueBird 6, took off from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota on Wednesday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the successful launch a "proud moment for India".
"Heartiest congratulations to the entire team of ISRO on the successful launch of LVM3-M6, deploying the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into Low Earth Orbit. This landmark mission reflects India's growing global stature in space technology, enabled by the visionary leadership and constant guidance of PM Narendra Modi," CM Yogi said in a post on X.
He further said that ISRO continues to inspire the nation and strengthen India's role as a trusted space partner to the world.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that with the launch of BlueBird 6, ISRO has yet again introduced the world to India's scientific capabilities, skills, and confidence.
Taking to X, CM Yadav said, "The fluttering flag of 'New India' in space! ISRO has once again introduced the world to India's scientific capabilities, skills, and confidence through the successful launch of the Blue Bird Block-2 spacecraft via the LVM3-M6 rocket. Heartfelt congratulations to the entire ISRO team for this historic achievement."
"Under the visionary leadership of the illustrious Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is rapidly advancing towards becoming a space superpower today," he added.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said India "stands tall as a trusted and respected partner in the global space ecosystem".
Congratulating ISRO, she took to X and posted, "This achievement reflects India's advanced technological capabilities and the visionary leadership, decisive direction and constant encouragement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which have given new confidence and global credibility to Bharat's space sector."
"ISRO's continued excellence inspires the nation and further strengthens Bharat's role in shaping the future of space exploration," she added.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took to X and extended his congratulations to ISRO and said, "Launching the heaviest satellite ever from Indian soil is a proud milestone that further strengthens our nation's commercial space capabilities and its standing as a trusted global launch partner. Best wishes to all the scientists, engineers, and everyone who contributed to the success of this remarkable mission."
BlueBird 6, the communication satellite, weighing 6,100 kg, is the heaviest payload to be placed into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in LVM3 launch history. The previous heaviest was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite 03, weighing about 4,400 kg, which was successfully launched by ISRO on November 2 in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
The satellite is part of the next generation of BlueBird Block-2 communication satellites, designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones.
This mission marks the 6th operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle. It also represents a significant leap in telecommunications technology, as the massive 6,100 kg payload is designed to provide high-speed 4G and 5G connectivity directly to smartphones.
This mission is part of a commercial agreement established between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial division of ISRO, and the US-based company AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC).
- IANS
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